heybruce

My sources are dated weeks before and after Russia's invasion, and Economist news magazine is one of the world's most respected sources by those who wish to stay informed about global news. These sources describe the situation at the time of the invasion. You know, the time pertinent to this discussion. I supported my claim with sources. As predicted, you didn't.

Pathetic. Are you that uninformed or attempting to rewrite history? Zelensky himself didn't believe Russia would invade. https://www.economist.com/europe/why-ukraines-president-is-talking-down-the-threat-from-russia/21807491 Western leaders also didn't believe it: "FOR SEVERAL weeks, even as they raised the alarm about Russia’s unprecedented military build-up on Ukraine’s border, Western leaders and officials emphasised that Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, had not yet made a final decision." https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/02/19/joe-biden-says-that-vladimir-putin-has-decided-to-invade-ukraine However Ukraine was sufficiently worried to disperse troops and prepare for the "unexpected" attack, thanks to Biden's warnings: "America’s innovation began before the war, with the unprecedented release of intelligence. Along with Britain, the Biden administration issued detailed, up-to-the-minute warnings about Russian troops massing on Ukraine’s borders, would-be provocations, the plan of attack and a blueprint for a puppet government. This robbed Mr Putin of the power to disorientate that served him so well in the seizure of Crimea in 2014." https://www.economist.com/leaders/for-all-americas-success-in-helping-ukraine-hard-times-lie-ahead/21808338 It also resulted in a united western response to the invasion: "U.S. officials and experts say that while the publication of Putin’s plans has failed to deter him, it has served to unite allies and partners to react in quick coordination and has primed domestic audiences to support imposing consequences." "This includes unity among the 27-nation bloc of the European Union, which convened two meetings in quick succession to discuss and vote on sanctions packages against Russia and Putin personally for invading Ukraine, as well as Moscow’s recognition as independent territories in Ukraine’s Donbas region. " https://thehill.com/policy/international/russia/595916-us-employs-unusual-intel-strategy-to-counter-putin/ Now that I've supported my post with credible sources, I'm sure you will do the same. Just kidding. You won't.

Bull. Biden alerted Ukraine and the world of Putin's plans for an invasion before it happened. That information was what presented Russia from having a quick and easy victory. That display of intelligence, competence, and support for Ukraine is what united NATO into backing Ukraine. Without Biden NATO probably would still have taken the Russia threat as serious, but only after Ukraine was lost.

Why should Tucker Carlson and his minions be the one to decide which videos are pertinent and which aren't? Why haven't these videos been released to all news organizations to review and present to the public? The answer is obvious: Kevin McCarthy wants to give Tucker time to frame the story before anyone else. He's hoping for an outcome similar to when Attorney General Barr "reviewed" the Mueller report before its general release and completely misrepresented the findings. It didn't fool intelligent people, but the Fox News crowd ate it up.

How was I abusive? I raised some reasonable questions that your post invited.

Perhaps you should think before you post. What did you mean by "Ukraine is traditionally part of the Eastern Block and its the Western World". Exactly where and how do you define the line between the Western World and the "Eastern Block"? Do you think it is acceptable for Russia to invade and reclaim by force all countries that like what the west has to offer, including those now in the EU and/or NATO? And exactly how is the "Western World which is trying to expand by bringing Ukraine under their influence"? Do you have evidence that the Ukrainian people prefer being dominated by Russia?

Don't get too excited by this. I expect the Fifth to be pleaded as often if not more so than Trump did. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/31/trump-news-pleads-fifth-video-new-york-fraud-deposition

The Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria are also part of the Eastern Block. Do you think it would be ok for Russia to invade them as well? The "Western World" leaves the door open to those who wish to have good political and economic relations with it. Ukraine was one such nation. The west didn't try to bring Ukraine under its influence, the majority of the people in Ukraine decided they liked what the west had to offer more than what Russia was offering/inflicting. The west is influential because it is comparatively attractive economically and socially. Russia is influential because of graft, secret police and invasions. People defending Russia are sick.

Haven't you figured out that nobody is buying the conspiracy theory you're selling? Come back when you have real evidence.

Here's a way to spend less money; lock up the people responsible for Medicare fraud. Start with Rick Scott. ""While Rick Scott was CEO of Columbia/HCA Hospital, he oversaw the biggest Medicare fraud in US history and was fined $1.7 billion, which was the largest healthcare fraud fine ever levied by the DOJ," tweeted political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen in response to Scott's post. "Maybe don't listen to this guy when it comes to protecting earned benefits."" https://www.newsweek.com/rick-scotts-connection-massive-medicare-fraud-scandal-resurfaces-1780279

China and Russia both feel they have a basic right to bully their smaller neighbors. Yes, they will definitely support each other.

"Mr Stuteville said he had placed his gun in the stall while using the bathroom, and that it had been unattended for about 15 minutes." People who are that careless with guns, especially in an elementary school, should not be allowed to own a gun. They are a threat to themselves and everyone around them. Gun owners should be required to take a class on the safe handling and storage of their weapons, and should lose the right to own a gun after showing this level of incompetence.

Your post ended with "Has Joe been sleeping the whole year ? " I replied to your trolling question.

That does not change the fact that rewarding nuclear blackmail leads to more nuclear blackmail with more players jumping into the game. That is a greater long-term risk than calling Putin's bluff now.

Do you seriously expect people on this forum to educate you regarding a year's worth of news, or are you just trolling? Just kidding; we all know you're trolling.

"Time to rethink western strategy in Ukraine?" No. As has been explained, rewarding nuclear blackmail leads to more nuclear blackmail, and not just from Russia.

Separation of church and state. How do you keep a government that pursues what it perceives do be "Judeo-Christian values" from becoming a theocracy? I've also noticed that the loudest "Christians" subscribe to Christianity a-la-carte. They reject forgiveness seventy times seven and go for "an eye for an eye". And of course they pretend Jesus never said that stuff about "harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god than a camel to pass through the eye of a needle."

Biden is incompetent? Are you aware that the President who preceded Biden has zero government experience and a checkered business history, at best, and showed it once in office?

Why aren't the Republicans?

Statement of the obvious. The reason we don't know who sabotaged the pipeline is that there is no evidence showing who sabotaged the pipeline.

I think I know the answer, but: Do you anything other than Hersh's unsupported claims?

"Did they invade any country in last 100, 200 years?" Ask India, Tibet and Vietnam. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sino-Indian-War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Tibet_by_the_People's_Republic_of_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Vietnamese_War There's also China using North Korea for a proxy war against South Korea, and its constant threats to take Taiwan by force. "Do they have military bases around the world, threatening others, imposing sanctions on other countries?" China is working on establishing military and dual use facilities around the world, and is building illegal bases through-out the South China Sea, which it illegally claims to be part of its territory. These bases are definitely threatening nearby countries, and shipping in the area. Regarding sanctions, ask Australia about that. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-17/australian-trade-tension-sanctions-china-growing-commodities/12984218

If McCarthy can get away with giving this footage to Fox News only, instead of sharing it with all news organizations, then the House ethics rules are even more grossly inadequate than I thought.

More Seymour Hersh claims, still no hard evidence.

Something is seriously wrong with a state Republican Party that would elect someone so obviously b*tsh*t crazy as leader of the party.